Pipe fittings, including hollow, tubular shaped pipe fittings having connector ends with either internal threads (commonly referred to as female pipe threads) or external threads (commonly referred to as male pipe threads) are exceedingly popular in liquid and gas piping systems. Typically, male pipe threads of a first pipe fitting are threaded into female pipe threads of a second pipe fitting to form a pipe joint.
The use of male and female pipe threads is also exceedingly popular where the pipes and pipe fittings are made from lightweight materials, such as plastics. In such pipes and pipe fittings, however, there is a problem with the use of the pipe fittings. This problem arises from the fact that pipe threads made from lightweight materials have a tendency to “cross thread.” That is, if the male pipe threads are not precisely aligned with the female pipe threads as the male pipe threads are initially threaded into the female pipe threads, the male pipe threads can easily become misaligned with the female pipe threads. Such cross-threading tends to ruin one or both sets of pipe threads and cannot seal the pipe joint.
Accordingly, there is a need for a pipe fitting which avoids this problem in the prior art.